The present invention relates to the high density baling of hay and pertains particularly to a method and apparatus for recompacting bales of hay into selective high density uniform size and weight bales, and non-palletized unitization of multiple high density compact bales of hay into selected uniform weight and size units of cargo for optimum utilization of space and for handling by lift trucks and the like.
There has, in recent years, developed an international market for domestically produced hay. In order to meet the needs of this market, the hay must be packaged to provide for efficient and economical handling and shipping. Such economical handling and shipping requires that the packaging be in high density units capable of efficient packaging into shipping containers, efficient mechanical handling, and easily convertible to manual handling. This also requires that the bales also be of substantially uniform size and weight and formable into selectable uniform weight and size cargo units.
In the aforementioned parent application, a system and method is disclosed for recompacting or further compacting bales of hay into higher density bales and cutting them into smaller lighter weight units for easier manual handling. That system provides high density, smaller more easily handled cargo units which are desirable for both ease of loading and fitting into cargo space and for manual handling. However, it is also desirable that these units be substantially equal or uniform in size and weight and be easily formed into selected uniform size and weight larger units for mechanical handling and shipping.
The typical harvesting of hay involves cutting it and drying it in the field, after which it is typically compressed and bound into bales for easier handling and storage. In the past, the typical field baled bale of hay for local use typically weighs about fifty-five to seventy-five pounds and occupies a space of about 48".times.23".times.17". The weight may vary by as much as 20% under certain circumstances. Bales of this size and weight are generally considered suitable for local manual handling and storage. However, they are considered too bulky for commercial markets and for long distance shipping, particularly for overseas shipping. For this reason, the standard commercial bale is about one-hundred ten pounds and of about the same dimensions as above. Twenty of such bales weigh a standard or metric ton of about twenty-two thousand pounds.
It has been found that such bales weighing fifty Kg or one-hundred ten pounds can be compacted into a single bale of about 18".times.24".times.20". This is about the same width and height and less than one-half (1/2) the length of the standard bale. This size and weight bale has a density of about twenty-two pounds per cubic foot. These can then be split into 18".times.12".times.20" bales and stacked and bound into fractions of one ton, one ton and multiple ton, such as two to twenty ton units for shipment. Also, two bales of the twenty-five Kg or fifty-five pounds weight standard dimension can be compacted into a single bale of the aforesaid size and weight. This recompacting or rebaling conserves considerable cargo space and provides easier handling units for manual handling, but requires some form of unitization for existing mechanical cargo handling and loading equipment, such as forklift trucks.
One form of unitization now used is the mounting of bales of hay on wooden pallets for handling with a forklift truck. The bales are frequently tied or attached to the pallet by means of straps, webbing, netting and by shrink wrap polymer films. However, the pallets take up valuable cargo space and weight and require separate handling and accommodation. They are also of a standard size and restrict or predetermine the size of a cargo unit. Moreover, they are an added cost, not only as a unit but as to handling and space requirements.
In our co-pending application Ser. No. 07/526,186, filed May 18, 1990, entitled "METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR UNITIZATION OF CARGO", we disclose a method of unitizing multiple bales of hay for handling by means of a forklift truck without the need for a pallet. That method is more fully discussed hereinbelow.
The shipping of cargo of this type in international trade requires flexibility in the size of cargo units as well as a standardization that can be fit into different size cargo spaces. For example, most cargo is shipped in cargo containers of a standard 8'.times.8'.times.40'. However, when they reach their destination, they must fit cargo spaces that may vary from about four to about ten feet in width and from about five to about forty feet in length. They must also be in units of weight that are standard, and can be accommodated by vehicles at the destination, which can vary from one-quarter ton to ten ton capacity. Thus, the units of cargo become multiple parts of a puzzle that must fit in various arrangements in several different weights in several different size cargo spaces.
It is desirable that improved means be available for the formation of bales of hay into suitable size and weight cargo units for easy and efficient handling and shipping.